Brown Eyed Girl
by Raiderette Levin
Summary: Joe remembers a very special girl. Oneshot


**Author's Note: I based this short story after Van Morrison's 1967 hit "Brown-Eyed Girl." I thought it was a really cute, cleverly-written song. There are two versions, and I used the "clean version" as to what occurred behind the stadium. Based after the casefiles. Enjoy! :D**

Joe Hardy cruised along a desolate country road on the outskirts of Bayport. One hand was on the wheel and the other on the radio dial, looking for a song he recognized. Most of the stations just provided static and noise, but when he heard a familiar riff, he took his hand off the dial and placed it back on the wheel. Singing along as it went, he thought back on somebody he used to know.

"_Back beast!" Her brown eyes were full of amusement as she waved a wooden stick at him._

"_Ah ha!" He flailed his own twig, engaging her in a duel. They both laughed as they fought, not even caring how silly they must have looked, drenched in the rain that fell through the lofty branches of the trees surrounding the hollow. _

_At last, they were both so overcome by the silliness and juvenility of their game. They threw their wooden weapons aside and sat down together on a nearby moss-covered log, both laughing like a pair of children._

"_Oh Joe! We were acting like such children!"_

_"Have you forgotten? I am Joe Hardy. I am a child." He just grinned as she laughed harder, brown eyes sparkling._

Joe smiled a bit at the memory and his arm reached down again and touched the stereo. He felt his hand touch the small volume knob and he twisted it ever so slightly and continued to reminisce as he sang along.

_He still remembered how beautiful she looked that morning in her denim pedal pushers and purple sweater as they skipped and jumped through the morning fog together. Her smile was brighter than the sun that morning, and even brighter than her smile were her big brown eyes, smiling with amusement and glowing with love._

_His heart beat loudly, wishing the moment could last forever. There was nowhere else he'd rather be than holding her hand as they skipped through the morning mist, laughing and smiling; enjoying one another's company._

It wasn't long before his hand reached down and twisted the knob again, just a little bit more…

_He lived for summer break, but sometimes it was too slow. But not that Tuesday. He could have sworn the same song was blaring out of her transistor radio as they walked in the golden sun, hand-in-hand, down to the old mine. They didn't explore it too much, but when they were done, he took her to the river's edge, nearby._

_She took off her sandals and stood out on a big rock. Joe couldn't help but to admire how gorgeous she looked in her t-shirt and cut-offs, dark hair glowing. She was laughing and all he could do was smile at her and be glad that summer wasn't over._

_She climbed down from the rock and ran to Joe. Latching his hand around hers, they ran off to the nearby waterfall and climbed out behind it, admiring the rainbows it made. Joe could only wish that he had brought a camera as they climbed on old gray rocks by the rivers edge. He loved to watch her slip around on them, laughing happily and brown eyes smiling. _

Joe had to smile about the fond memory, glad that he could relive it any time he wanted to. All he had to do was think of her and it was as if she was in the van, right next to him…

_It was summer again in the young Hardy's mind as he cruised down a country road with her seated beside him. They were both singing along to their favorite song on the radio. Their song. It was playing the night he had asked her to go steady. He believed it had brought him good luck._

_The sun was painting pictures on her beautiful hair and she looked so happy. Her cheeks were rosy, her skin was a deep tan, and her pink lips were smiling. Still, he couldn't stop admiring her brown eyes. _

He started choking up on the last verse. Funny how true the song was. Well… except for the third line of the last stanza. Joe could only wish…

As he sang out the last verses, tears came to his eyes and he was skeptical if he would be able to finish out the song. Every time he remembered her, he was overcome by his memories. They were so sweet and he knew that his memories were all he had left.

_It was springtime once again in Bayport. School had just let out for spring break and he had offered to walk home with her. Arm-in-arm, they skipped through the green grass behind the school's football stadium. Smiling and laughing as they went, skipping through the glorious sunlight. He looked over to her and got lost in the depth of her beautiful brown eyes…_

As he sang the absolute last of the song, he did remember. But he knew very well that memories were all he had left of his brown-eyed girl.


End file.
